Nonnatives vs invasive species

My posts concerning the Florida Keys have all been fluffy and full of pretty pictures and cute animals. I’ve decided that for this entry, if there’s anyone out there reading this, then I will teach you something!

I want to discuss native/nonnative/invasive species. I live in an area that is warm– nay, HOT, all year round. There is this general rule, that the closer you get to the equator, the more diverse the flora and fauna is. As far as American soil goes, I’m pretty much as close to the equator as one can be (OK, fine Puerto Rico is closer, but I’m talking STATES here people). Let’s define these terms, shall we? Then I can be on my way and get to the cool pictures I’ve been wanting to share with my blogosphere friends.

(I’ve kind of gleaned these definitions from various sources, and recollections from undergrad courses, and mushed them into the following…and I’m speaking to North America)

Native: those species present pre European settlement
Nonnative: species introduced intentionally or unintentionally post European settlement
Invasive: species that have a negative impact on the economy, environment, and/or human health.



It’s important to note as well, that not all nonnatives (or sometimes referred to as introduced species) are invasive, and sometimes natives can becoming invasive.



A male Ring-necked Pheasant, seen in the

Finger Lakes region of NY. Photo credit: Art Kirsch

Here are some examples: the Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) ranges across North America, and was brought here in the 1880′s from Asia, as a game species (All About Birds: Ring-necked Pheasant). Back in those days, this was common practice, and in some parts of the world it still is. This bird is a popular upland game bird hunted by many, but it’s not a species that has not become invasive. In fact, in New York for example, the population isn’t as abundant as hunters would like, so there’s a Pheasant Propagation Program. An example of a invasive nonnative species in NY, is the Eurasian boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus). They are aggressive, compete for food with native species (black bear, Turkey, white-tailed deer), and they can destroy crops and agricultural lands. This is not a species NY wants on it’s landscape. For more info: NYSDEC: Eurasian boar.

 

Ok, so the point of all that information, was to provide you, the reader, with some definitions and information. I really wanted this posted to be all about the cool reptiles and amphibians I’ve seen in the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, many of the “herps” down here are nonnative and invasive. Here’s what I’ve seen, by order of discovery!

*Please note that my classifications of what is invasive, may be incorrect. This is information that I’ve learned living and working here, but may differ by opinion, agency, and location.

Six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus), NATIVE, No Name Key, FL, June 2014

Brown/Cuban anole (Anolis sangrei), NON-NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Green iguana (Iguana iguana), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014



Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactlyus turcicus, turcicus), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Florida softshell (Trionix ferox), NONNATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014

Southern leopard frog (Rana spenocephala), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014



Juvenile ashy gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014

Key ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014



Eastern narrowmouth toad (Gastrophrynae carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014

Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014
*Note, these individuals are copulating in this picture. The female is smaller.

-Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, September 2014 (Look these guys up on YouTube... they TALK!)

Other reptiles observed, but lacking photos:
-Southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL June 2014
-Atlantic green turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas), NATIVE, Open ocean in Key West NWR, June 2014
-Black spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, No Name Key, June 2014
-American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), NATIVE, Key Largo, FL, July 2014

Many, if not most of these reptiles/amphibians, were released pets at one point. This is not only illegal, but unfair to that individual critter. The way someone once described this scenario to me, is to imagine yourself naked, without ID or money, and suddenly finding yourself in a foreign country. Now try to survive. Oh, and by the way it might snow and freeze on you! Other ways animals are finding their ways around, are as stowaways. As kids, my mom found an anole in BJs, in Albany. We don’t have those types of lizards in NY, nor does BJs have a pet department. A shipment of plants from a nursery in Florida had recently come in. Guess which kid got a free pet lizard that day?! This happens on cargo, freight, boats, cars, trains, etc. regularly.

The point of this entry was not to bore you with definitions, but to share some of the neat slimy and scaly wildlife I’ve seen this summer. It’s all cool to me, and I learned most of these guys in the herpetology course I took last year at SUNY Cobleskill. I just hope no one ends up in my car for the drive back to NY the end of this month!

Warning: CUTE factor!

Photo credit: USFWS – Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge. 

A LKMR as seen on a research camera on Big Pine Key, FL

Big Pine Key, where I live and work, is home to several endangered species. One that I’m interested in, because they’re often forgotten because they aren’t large and exciting mega-fauna, is the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri). The LKMR is a subspecies of the marsh rabbit, which is not considered endangered, but because these are only found from Big Pine Key to Key West, they have that subspecies designation.

There are volunteers at our Refuge who have told me they’ve never seen a LKMR. I think that is for two reasons: 1) LKMRs are few in number and very skittish on Big Pine and 2) You have to know where to look! They aren’t as common as Eastern cottontails, like I know back in New York. And they certainly are too shy to be in your yard nibbling. Where I have seen them most, is driving down a dead end gravel road at dusk, or I surprise them as I come around a corner on the road, and they’ve been grazing on the shoulder. As soon as they think they’ve been spotted… off they go!

Fun fact: In the 1980′s Hugh Hefner’s corporation donated money to their research and conservation efforts, thus their subspecies name: hefneri!

Four LWMRs grazing on a dead end road. No through traffic, and the houses that are on this road, seemed to be closed up for the season. (Yes, there are 4…the blob furthest to the right is 2 rabbits close together)

LKMRs are considered endangered because their population numbers have dropped very low due to habitat destruction and fragmentation due to commercial and residential development: the same old sad story, right? There is also worry of feral domestic cats hunting and eating LKMRs, which doesn’t help their situation. Naturally, these rabbits have few native predators. The only noted mammal that I suppose MAY harass them, are the raccoons. But I highly doubt a raccoon would take a rabbit and eat it. There are no foxes, wild cats like bobcats, or coyotes. There are predatory birds like hawks, owls, and eagles, but the LKMRs live in dense vegetation, which would make it very difficult for a bird to see from above, and have access to catching them.

Premium habitat includes “higher” elevation (so in the Keys, only several feet above sea level, usually the center of an island), freshwater wetlands, hardwood hammocks, and they require dense grasses and sedges for feeding, cover, and nesting. The few times I’ve seen them out in the open, dense cover has been only a few bounds away.

A Lower Keys marsh rabbit seen on Big Pine Key, FL.

 I quite enjoy seeing these small rabbits. Some people may say “Oh a rabbit is a rabbit”, but it’s just not true. In Alaska I was captivated by the behaviors and physicality of the snowshoe hares, and in NY, even though they’re very common, I love to learn about the Eastern cottontails. A past professor of mine, John (he who inspired me to blog!), just recently wrote an blog entry about small mammal live-trapping. He began by explaining that most of us, when asked to think about mammals, immediately think of our pets, farm animals, or zoo animals! In fact, this is a skewed representation of our mammals on Earth. Most of our critters are small and maybe don’t seem as “cool” as glamorous as lions, and tigers, and bears… I do like to learn about them, photograph them, and be allowed to see them in their native habitats.

A wonderful resource, although perhaps a little dated, is the Lower Keys March Rabbit Species Profile, that was written by biologists at the Refuge I’m interning at: Lower Keys Marsh Rabbits.

Since I arrived here, I’ve been trying and trying to capture my own camera trap images or videos of these bunnies. I was finally successful, although the video isn’t the greatest. I will share it though, because darn it! I finally got one!

Enjoy!

Life on Big Pine Key, FL

SUNY Cobleskill graduation 

May 10, 2014

Whoa!

Life has been crazy this past month! On May 10th, I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Wildlife Management from SUNY Cobleskill. Rewind back to the week of Thanksgiving last fall, I started applying for jobs and internships to begin immediately after graduation. I watched my friends and classmates snag awesome opportunities all over the country, and I felt left out and disappointed. I felt like I was lacking somehow, and that all this work and energy was for naught. I know, kind of dramatic, but 6 months of rejection will make you think the worst of your abilities!

Finally, finally, FINALLY I got the call: Would you like to come on board??? And lucky, lucky, LUCKY me, it was for an internship in the Florida Keys! The Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex Ranger, Kristie, interviewed me on a Thursday, and hired me on a Monday. Within 5 days, I was on the road and I made it down here on June 9th. It was a quick transition from hanging out in my college town, empty of friends, trying to figure out my week/summer/life, and trying to budget my limited funds to stuff whatever I could into my car, and heading 1,500 miles South!

I’m working as a “Visitor Services” intern in the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge office on Big Pine Key. This is the most commonly visited refuge, out of the other 4 refuges in the Keys. Key West NWR, Great White Heron NWR, and Crocodile Lake NWR are the remaining refuges that make up the complex. Hey, check us out and “like” us on Facebook! You’ll see some of my pictures and writing from time to time as well as some awesome wildlife pictures –> Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex .

Ok, you’re all here for pictures. So I will post pics of the critters I’ve run into so far, and in subsequent entries I will elaborate on the natural history of some. I hope you enjoy!

The first animals are the famous Key deer. These guys are the same species of white-tailed deer found in Northern/Eastern United States and Canada. They are a subspecies. I’ll get into all of that later, but for now: notice their SIZE and how TAME they are!

A Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) buck checking me out. You’ll notice how close I am to these deer. They are very conditioned to be in close proximity to people, unfortunately, but they do make for nice photos.

Key deer fawn

I was exploring the refuge the other day, and sat on a stump when these two walked right up to me, to check me out.

No zoom. They were looking for a hand-out, which unfortunately many people have probably fed them before. This makes them less “wild” and more susceptible to getting hit by a vehicle, because they’re often fed from cars.

This is a refuge vehicle I was using the other day, and as I was walking to the car, the pair followed me and cut between me and the car. Begging for treats!

Signage is EVERYWHERE to warn visitors and residents to watch their speeds, and that it is unlawful to touch or feed the deer.

A Florida box turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) found rummaging in the yard in front of my house.

A six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus), a VERY speedy lizard!

An anole lizard, specific species unknown. Likely a brown anole (Anolis sangrei). This guy is probably a male, and he’s showing me his dewlap trying to scare me off!

I found a Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in…the house! The poor guy was very easily caught because I think he was dehydrated and starving, but also slowed down because of the AC. I released him outside, but I found him dead later. This is an introduced species to the Keys.

Mediterranean house gecko

Sea turtle nest site on Bahia Honda State Park beach.

Sea turtles nest along the shores of the Keys, and nests are taped off. I hope to be able to see live sea turtles and hopefully snorkel with them while I’m here!

This is an interesting bird. I believe this is a Würdemann’s heron. This is a controversial bird-nerd topic, and I’ll be sure to discuss more in a later entry. For now, this is a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with a white head :)

Assorted shore birds. To be honest, I’ve not taken the time to ID them. I just thought I’d share, as they are happily feeding in the sea grass at low tide!

This was a *SPECTACULAR* capture, I thought. I believed I had photographed a rare species, the Bahama Mockingbird (Mimus gundlachii). After submitting my sighting to eBird, and conferring with some people here, and my orno professor from Cobleskill, everyone agreed this was in fact a juvenile Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) that had yet to molt into it’s adult plumage. Not as exciting as I had hoped, but neat nonetheless.

And my final picture to share, the Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)! I believe we have a nesting pair at a popular visiting location on the Key Deer NWR, which is really neat! These guys more often hang out in the Everglades than the Keys.